WILLIAMS SIGNS TWO-YEAR DEAL

Adie Williams has set his sights on securing an automatic promotion spot into the Premiership after becoming the latest Royals star to pledge his future to the club by signing a new two-year extension on his contract.

Williams follows in the footsteps of Nicky Shorey and Marcus Hahnemann in agreeing new terms. His deal runs until the end of the 2004/05 season.

The central defender scored his first goal of the season in Tuesday night's fabulous 3-1 win at Sheffield United and admits he can now concentrate on trying to fire Reading into the top flight for the first time in their history.

Williams, aged 31, said: "It's been a good week.

We had a brilliant result at Sheffield, I scored my first goal, which was pleasing although I don't really care who scores as long as we get the points, and now I've signed a new contract.

"At the start of the season I only had one year left on my current deal and I was looking to earn a new one and it's nice to have put pen to paper.

"Now I can just get on and try to help this club get into the Premiership," added Royals captain.

"At the start of the season a lot of people were thinking just staying in this division would be a great achievement.

"But to be honest the manager and the players never really felt like that. We were looking to the play-offs.

"And now we're third in the table and looking at the teams above us.

"There's 10 points between us and Leicester.

That's not impossible to make up with 14 games, so we will give it a real go. If we show the drive, determination and desire, who knows what can happen?"

And the Evening Post understands the backroom staff will be the next to sign new deals, possibly next week, to run alongside Alan Pardew's three-year deal.

Utility player Ricky Newman is also expected to discuss a new contract, possibly in the next few weeks.

The futures of the other out-of-contract players — Jamie Cureton, Sammy Igoe, Phil Whitehead, Adi Viveash, Anthony Rougier, Adi Whitbread, Alex Smith and Steve Warren are still very much in doubt though — with the vast majority likely to leave.

M READING'S match with Wolves has been rescheduled for Wednesday March 12 (kick-off 8pm) due to the Midlands club's involvement in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 9. Wolves moved up to sixth in Division 1 last night after twice coming from behind to win 4-2 at Ipswich.

M A STRONG Reading reserves side could only manage a 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient in the Avon Insurance Combination League yesterday

Royals twice took the lead through Sammy Igoe then Jamie Cureton, but a brace from Gary Fletcher earned the O's a point.

Manager Brian McDermott said: "I didn't think we played as well as we can but all credit to Orient because they battled well.

"Four of our players didn't get home until the early hours of the morning because they were involved in the first team game on Tuesday night.

That probably had some effect. This was a good work-out, though, and it's important we keep players match fit ahead of any first-team calls they might get."